Forum Discussion
Advocate IVDataflows refresh for linked entities failing
I originally used this architecture too.
As you've noticed, when your first A Level dataflow starts refreshing, it puts a lock on downstream dataflows in the same workspace...so if the second A Level dataflow tries to refresh, it won't be able to get a lock on the B Level dataflow and will fail.
My workaround has been to create another workspace--my "publish" workspace--that has your B Level dataflow with all the A Level entities contained as Linked Entities.
B won't automatically refresh with the A Level dataflows, but since all B contains is Linked Entities, a scheduled refresh should run quickly.
With the B Level dataflow removed from your inital workspace, your A Level dataflows will be able to refresh concurrently.
Also, you could look at using MS Flow/Power Automate or Logic Apps to orchestrate a more granular refresh schedule--you can trigger Power BI refresh from both 🙂
Solution SageIf you want your A dataflows to be able to refresh concurrently, your B level cannot be in the same workspace--so option 1.
Techincally it could be--if you disabled load on the linked entities in it--but that would make a copy of the A Level dataflow data, which is redundant.
Advocate IVThank you so much jeffshieldsdev !! Great to get a definitive answer on this.
Sadly (for me!) what you have described (ie. option 1) is exactly how I did this originally.. however I was encountering a strange error and behaviours with entities in the 'publish' workspace being 'locked' and unable to save changes/refresh etc... prompting me to attempt this 'single' dataflow method instead. I logged an MS SUpport call and this turned out to be some kind of weird 'glitch' it seems.. but endeavoured to blow the original model away and attempt rebuilding in an alternative style.
I'm definately able (and happy!) to go back to the drawing board now feeling confident this isn't all the result of a development bug!
Thanks so much for your response.